Playtime and bedtime relate to cortisol levels for children facing economic hardship

Abstract Objective This study elucidates relations among playtime, bedtime, and cortisol levels for children facing economic hardship. Background Poverty‐related stressors overburden physiological systems that respond to stress, with implications for child health and development. The family microsystem can offer protection, yet no prior published studies have explored whether time allocated to various home activities might relate to stress levels. Method The study included 130 children aged 3 to 5 years who attended a Head Start preschool, and their primary caregivers. Trained research assistants completed daily telephone interviews with the caregivers across 10 days near the start of the preschool year to assess activities at home and, at a midyear time point, collected child saliva samples upon preschool arrival on 2 weekdays to assess morning levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Results Zero‐order correlational and linear regression analyses indicated that a greater proportion of playtime and earlier bedtime relative to waketime (i.e., more sleep time) related to lower morning cortisol levels. Conclusion Greater playtime and sleep time may mitigate the tax of poverty on physiological stress response systems. Implications Implications concern family strengths that might be built upon to promote the well‐being of children facing economic hardship.